If you’ve been teaching for a number of years at the same grade level, then you know that it’s easy to get bored teaching the same curriculum year in and year out. The curriculum is unlikely to change very much, so at this point the only thing you can do to decrease boredom is to enhance or diversify your teaching methods. Here are 7 ways to enhance and spice up your curriculum by introducing American Sign Language to your students:
- American Sign Language (ASL) is FUN! Sing and sign songs, read and sign poems in your poetry center, read and sign words on your word wall, or sign a repeating word in a book that you read during storytime. Adding sign to what you are already doing makes it a lot more fun!
- Adding ASL can help you to add the element of surprise! After you have taught your students a few signs, then you can start to sign the directions (voices off). Catch them off-guard, surprise them. You just may find yourself with students who are paying closer attention. If they miss the sign that its snack time and see everyone else going to get their snack and are wondering what everyone is doing, they won’t want to miss that direction the next day.
- Using ASL is a great way to check the class for understanding. Have your students sign their answer to a yes or no question and you’ll be able to scan across the room and see who understands and who doesn’t based on the sign they give you.
- American Sign Language is a visual language. Using a sign to introduce new vocabulary to students can help them construct meaning for new words. It’s great for those visual and kinesthetic learners in your classroom as well.
- Sign Language is beautiful to watch! Doing a performance for your school or your students’ parent’s? Add in some signs and your performance will be even more beautiful.
- Spice up your spelling lessons by teaching the manual alphabet to your students. Once they know it, they can practice fingerspelling their words and you can even hold silent spelling bees.
- Last but not least (and I’m sure there’s more) you’ll probably find yourself with a more focused and quieter classroom. They’ll need to pay better attention to you so that they see the signs, they can sign with each other and more of your school day can incorporate quiet, signing time only.
So cure your boring, same curriculum blues by adding American Sign Language into your day. You’ll find that you are enjoying your day more, your students are enjoying their school day, and it gives the same old information a new twist.
